Derek Dent’s gamble to leave his well-paid plant position and establish Digging Dirt Site Works LLC was a successful bet

Derek Dent’s gamble to leave his well-paid plant position and establish Digging Dirt Site Works LLC was a successful bet

Derek Dent, Owner

Spending every day behind a desk was not the life Derek Dent envisioned for himself. After working at a plant for a decade, he decided to make a career change and start his own contracting business: Digging Dirt Site Works LLC.

“Growing up, I would clear land for a company during the summers and really enjoyed doing that,” recalled Dent. “I didn’t have a clear idea about what I wanted to do. I ended up at a well-paying job working at a plant. After several years there, I got tired of doing the same thing every day and decided to make a change. I have a friend that owns a landscaping business, and I started out grading lots for him. My uncle owns a plumbing company, and I added sewer line work for him. I focused on doing anything that came my way, and the business grew from there.”

Dent continued to work part time at the plant throughout 2020, while the business expanded. At that point, he decided to leave the plant job and start working full time for Digging Dirt Site

Works. “I left the security of a well-paying job to come out here and push dirt around,” joked Dent.

The company, based in Appling, Ga., services customers in Georgia and South Carolina within a 75-mile radius. “We offer turnkey operation from start to finish,” explained Dent. “We do all the dirt work, underground infrastructure, paving, concrete work, curb and gutter. We get sites ready to go vertical.”

While not a large company, Dent says his crew works hard to do things right the first time. “The company is up to six employees, and we work closely with a partner company that puts us at 30 people. We still have the mentality of taking on every project that comes our way. Our crew gives 110% every day. When we leave a job site, our customers know that it was done properly.”

An operator pushes dirt using a Komatsu D51PXi-24 dozer with integrated intelligent Machine Control (iMC) technology at an apartment complex job site west of Augusta, Ga. “We use GPS control on the dozers to do a lot of different things more efficiently throughout the duration of a project,” explained Owner Derek Dent. “We’re able to eliminate costly downtime previously dedicated to staking jobs and checking grade. With the iMC technology, we cut to grade once and know we won’t have to do it again.”

Integrated GPS tech crucial

Digging Dirt Site Works is currently completing a variety of projects that range from site work for small commercial buildings to full-size apartment complexes. It’s also adding government contracts to its active project list. Currently, the firm is completing work at one of its largest apartment complex jobs on the west side of Augusta, Ga.

“We’re currently in phase one of preparing the site for eight three-story units to be built here,” explained Dent. “That includes moving over 150,000 yards of dirt, installing the underground infrastructure, building the pads and laying the asphalt. The weather has been a big challenge for the project, but we’ve managed to stay on schedule. One of the main reasons that we’ve been able to do so is the addition of two Komatsu dozers with integrated GPS technology to our fleet.”

Digging Dirt Site Works added a Komatsu D51PXi-24 dozer with intelligent Machine Control (iMC) technology during the spring of 2020. After seeing the dozer’s impact on its projects, the firm decided to add a D61PXi-24 dozer with iMC 2.0 technology.

“We use GPS control on the dozers to do a lot of different things more efficiently throughout the duration of a project,” explained Dent. “We’re able to eliminate costly downtime previously dedicated to staking jobs and checking grade. It

also saves us a lot of money on smaller things, like spreading rock to place the road on. With the iMC technology, we cut to grade once and know we won’t have to do it again.”

Dent notes that the iMC 2.0 technology on the D61PXi-24 dozer has improved accuracy when cutting to grade on pond slopes. “There’s some canopy cover at the apartment complex in Augusta that would cause us to momentarily lose GPS signal when cutting slopes in the ponds using the D51 dozer. The 2.0 technology on the D61 dozer holds the signal through the canopy and allows us to stay on grade without any interruption. We can cut slopes on ponds without over or under digging.”

The firm utilizes the two dozers in tandem to work more efficiently. “When we added the 51, we mainly had smaller projects going on,” said Dent. “Since we’ve started to move more material, we added the 61 to handle bigger cuts. Outside of that difference, we use both dozers interchangeably to cut to grade and maximize our efficiency.

“The controls are straightforward and easy to use,” continued Dent. “With the iMC technology, you can put somebody with limited operating experience inside the cab and have them cut to grade like a veteran operator.”

A Komatsu D61PXi-24 dozer with iMC 2.0 technology and a Komatsu D51PXi-24 dozer work in tandem to move material and cut to grade. “When we added the 51, we mainly had smaller projects going on. Since we’ve started to move more material, we added the 61 to handle bigger cuts. Outside of that difference, we use both dozers interchangeably to cut to grade and maximize our efficiency,” said Owner Derek Dent.

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TEC & Komatsu deliver

Before adding its two Komatsu dozers, Digging Dirt Site Works was using competitive brand equipment with aftermarket GPS technology. It wasn’t satisfied with the results and began working with Tractor & Equipment Company (TEC) and Sales Rep. Brent Harmon to find machines that would meet their standards.

“We started out with a competitive brand machine that had the same Topcon system, but it wasn’t integrated,” explained Dent. “I contacted Brent to demo a Komatsu dozer with integrated GPS technology and was impressed with its capabilities and responsiveness. The Komatsu dozer was easier to operate and held grade better than the aftermarket system. We’ve also noticed a big difference in power between the Komatsu machines and other brands. Komatsu is bar-none the best integrated machine on the market.”

To move more material at its larger projects, the firm added a pair of Komatsu HM400-5 articulated trucks to its fleet. “The haul trucks are new for us this year,” said Dent. “We’re bidding larger dirt moving projects and needed trucks that could handle the material. We decided to add the Komatsu machines because of our relationship with TEC and the reliability of our Komatsu dozers.”

Digging Dirt Site Works relies on TEC to service its machines and help maximize uptime. “TEC provides excellent support to us,” stated Dent. “Any time we have a question or need something, Brent or the service department answers the phone and resolves the situation quickly.”

Owner Derek Dent (Left) works closely with TEC Sales Rep. Brent Harmon (Right) to find the correct Komatsu equipment for his company’s job sites. “TEC provides excellent support to us,” stated Dent.

Building for the future

Since Dent’s decision to leave his job at the plant and commit full time to Digging Dirt Site Works, he has envisioned taking on larger projects and growing the business.

“Everything has been rolling along smoothly, and I plan to continue on that path,” said Dent. “I would like to continue growing and adding more equipment. We’d like to reach a point where we’re not the largest company, but we’re able to offer a broad range of services that can take a project from start to finish.” ■

Digging Dirt Site Works uses two Komatsu HM400-5 articulated trucks to move material at its apartment complex job site west of Augusta, Ga. “The haul trucks are new for us this year,” said Owner Derek Dent. “We’re bidding larger dirt moving projects and needed trucks that could handle the material. These trucks allow us to move away from scrapers and maximize our efficiency.”